Blackburn with Darwen Local Leaders of Education Personal Profiles Andrea Batley, Executive Head teacher Longshaw Community Infant School & Longshaw Nursery School Crosby Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NF LAESTAB Number: 889/2013 and 889/1022 Experience I am an experienced and enthusiastic Headteacher of a triple intake infant school, which is situated in a challenging area with high levels of disadvantage and SEN. I am passionate about giving children the best start in education in order to enable them to develop a love of learning and overcome barriers within their lives. This philosophy has driven our school improvement over the past four years and seen our results rise to be consistently above National Average in reading, writing and mathematics. This has been achieved through developing a broad curriculum that values sport, art and music and focuses on whole staff understanding of behaviour management, targeted intervention and accurate assessment. I have worked with other Headteachers to identify strengths and areas for improvement within our schools and I work with other Headteachers to lead the Putting Heads Together training, which identifies and supports future leaders. I am currently working with a local nursery school as the Executive Headteacher to support them to move out of a category through focused school improvement, developing policies and mentoring staff. Areas of Expertise Developing an effective behaviour management strategy across a school Using data effectively through consistent tracking and monitoring Leadership development Creating an effective curriculum Safeguarding Building relationships within a school Andrea Thomson, Head teacher St Mary & St Joseph’s RC Primary School Bennington Street, Blackburn, BB2 3HP LAESTAB Number: 889/3508 Experience I have taught mainly in Upper Key Stage 2 although I did a stint in Early Years, which I loved. This has given me the experience in seeing how children progress and learn from Reception to Year 6. I was Deputy Head at St Mary & St Joseph’s RC Primary School for 2 years before being promoted to Acting Head in September 2008. I took up the substantial post of Head teacher in 2012 and developed a strong SLT. I take pride in developing my staff in numerous ways, playing on their strengths to ensure the best outcomes for children. Through my work with the Diocese, I have mentored numerous new Head teachers and provided pastoral visits. I am always keen to look for creative and exciting ways to help children learn and to ensure that their time with us is a positive and memorable journey. Areas of Expertise Creativity in the curriculum Maths Developing Staff Mentoring and coaching Andrew Embley-Peers, Headteacher Colne Christ Church CE Primary School Bent Lane, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 7AA LAESTAB Number: 888/3325 o Experience I have worked in three different schools in Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire and have almost 20 years’ experience in primary education. My leadership experience started when becoming a Key Stage 2 leader and then SENCO before taking up a Deputy Headteacher post. In 2006, I took up my first Headship at a small church school on the Fylde coast. In January 2009, I moved to my current post as Headteacher of Colne Christ Church CE Primary School. This is a one-form entry school on the edge of Colne. I have experience of supporting school improvement in a number of schools since 2013, both as an Associate Headteacher and Executive Headteacher. My work has included supporting leadership at all levels. I also worked for the Lancashire MIT (Monitoring and Intervention Team) and CIDARI Multi Academy Trust providing school improvement support. I am currently Chair of the Colne Schools Cluster and Pendle Church Schools Network. I also have experience of being a governor in other schools where I have held the position of Vice Chair of Governors and been Chair of Finance and Staffing. In addition, I am a member of Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education Resources, Finance and School Buildings Committee. Christ Church School was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in its short inspection in January 2018. The inspection report stated “You have a very clear vision about what you want to achieve and have worked with passion and resolve to ensure that the school continues to be good. You know the school and community extremely well and you are held in high regard by staff, parents and carers alike”. Christ Church School was rated ‘outstanding’ in its most recent SIAMS inspection in November 2017. The report stated “In this school, pupils are the priority and Christian love is at the heart of all decisions. The headteacher has a very clear and consistent vision for the school’s Christian distinctiveness”. Areas of Expertise Improving whole school teaching and learning to raise attainment. Developing leadership capacity and accountability at different levels. Safeguarding lead Belinda Haigh, Head teacher St Gabriel’s CE Primary School Wilworth Crescent, Blackburn BB1 8QN LAESTAB Number: 889/3467 Experience I was once told never to see my school as my own, but to see myself as a custodian of it. I believe that to be true. I’m here to both serve and to lead; and in leading I need a vision! The vision is paramount. The vision to get results, to motivate and inspire both staff and children, to lead by example and provide something beyond the academic. I believe the greatest gift we can give children is self- belief. It impacts everything. Achievement feeds the confidence to keep on achieving but personal success and self-belief cannot be given or awarded. They have to be earned through opportunities presented and seized. This is where balance in the curriculum needs to focus – on presenting opportunities for children to truly achieve, feel fulfilled and acquire self-worth. For teachers, these are opportunities planned. For leaders, these are opportunities encouraged and facilitated. Schools strive toward success. The academic measures can sometimes be elusive and are always challenging, in some schools more than others. Vision in leadership is not a panacea but is an essential element from which all other actions, initiatives and priorities are cascaded. I have not always got things right, but honest evaluation is the essential part of a journey toward greater effectiveness. I have been Head at St Gabriel’s CE Primary since 2004, having joined as the Deputy the previous year. We are a strong and forthright church school and the staff are a fabulous team. Areas of Expertise Visioning Church school distinctiveness Data/assessments School improvement initiatives Carolyn Morris, Head teacher St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School Newton Street, Blackburn, BB1 1NE LAESTAB Number: 889/3002 Experience My name is Carolyn Morris and I am Headteacher of St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School, a large 3-11 through school. The driving force throughout my career has always been to give pupils the best possible opportunities to ensure that they achieve the best they can. Everything we do is about making a difference for the young people we work with. I work with a dedicated team of people who all go ‘the extra mile’ to prepare our pupils for a new tomorrow within our Christian values and principles. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with teachers and leaders to improve outcomes for pupils. I believe that strong leadership leads to effective school improvement. I am focused on recognising leadership potential in others and giving opportunities for them to flourish and develop. I began my career in the Middle School sector in North London. I moved into Blackburn and had a number of roles in the Primary Sector including, leading PE, ICT and Maths. I moved to St Thomas’ initially as Deputy Headteacher and then in 2002 became the substantive Headteacher. I have worked on the NSCL International programmes where I have worked with groups of Headteachers from across the country developing leadership capacity. After a period of study and research I then facilitated their international study visits. Destinations included America, India and South Africa. This enabled me to support the leaders implement change in their own schools on their return. I have been seconded from St Thomas’ four times to support different schools as a system leader; 2 of them who required improvement and 2 to support capacity within leadership teams. This allowed me to focus on school improvement, professional development and teaching and learning. I successfully supported the leadership and mentored leadership teams and staff. Currently I lead our School Improvement Group and am committed to school leaders collaborating to secure school improvement. I work closely with our group where the sharing of good practice and ideas at all levels is key. This has been highly effective within our group. I believe in teamwork and being a role model as a school leader. As a LLE, I look forward to working with colleagues in this way. Areas of Expertise School Improvement Leadership and management Monitoring and evaluation Data/Assessment Teaching and Learning Claire Greenway- Head teacher St James’ CE Primary School Devonport Way, Chorley. Lancashire. PR6 0TE LAESTAB Number: 888/3397 Experience It has been a privilege to be head teacher of St. James’ CE Primary School for 9 years. The school has moved from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’ through two separate Ofsted inspections. During this time, I have supported the development of teachers, learning support assistants and subject leaders who have then taken on more senior roles within the school and beyond. The school has been transformed in all areas of teaching and learning. Before this time, I was DHT for 8 years in an area of high deprivation within Wigan. I have experience of teaching in all three phases of the school and taught Year 6 in three separate schools and led within Early Years.